My wife (Dr. Sue Hassmiller) and I just returned from a study tour of England and Istanbul following the trail of Florence Nightingale, and examining what she did to have so great an impact on the world. We worked together on summarizing ten areas that everyone should strive for when trying to have an impact. I think they are as helpful for higher education and auxiliaries as they are for healthcare. To see in a bit more detail how what we saw related to each, I've posted a link to her entire blog and include those ten areas here:
http://ajnoffthecharts.com/in-florences-footsteps-notes-from-a-journey/
1. Never, ever stop learning. A broad education in the arts and sciences helps with critical thinking and making important connections that lead to action. We saw how Florence used her knowledge of math, statistics, sanitation, religion, and architecture to put a holistic plan together to improve important systems.
2. Ground yourself and your work in facts and evidence. Make your case indisputable. Everyone should do this . . . not just those who call themselves “researchers.”
3. Muster the courage to follow your convictions. Step beyond what you think you can do.
4. Treat every person holistically. Every person has a spiritual, mental, and physical side that must be nurtured for complete healing to occur.
5. Know your strengths and know your weaknesses. If you don’t know what they are, ask someone. Choose a job where you can make the most of your strengths. Contribute, contribute, and then contribute some more.
6. Use your network to accomplish what you think you might be unable to accomplish on your own. Don’t be afraid to ask important people to help you finish important jobs and make needed improvements. Likewise, say yes to helping others when you are asked.
7. Speak and write often about the lessons/learnings that you would like to share with others.
8. If you see something that needs to be changed, change it! Nightingale said, “Deed, not creed.”
9. Don’t blame others for how things are, if you are not willing to change them yourself. Or at least solicit help from others to make needed changes.
10. Keep your standards high. Lack of time, fatigue, and ambivalence all undermine high standards. Our stakeholder, patients, students, colleagues and community deserve more.
It's great to take a vacation that energizes you on the job.